I have only been in model railroading for 1 year and 4 months but was wondering if it is time to Change a few things like converting all my horn hook couplers(this would be 100+) to knuckel couplers, and is it time for DCC. I have older locomotives and some of them like my old tyco, and bachmans wouldn’t be able to have decoders and my athearns would be a problem too. Also my LHS dosen’t have any decoders or DCC systems for sale. I would have to travel about an hour to the next hobby shop. One lats thing is $$$$$. I don’t have a lot of money to spend on my model RR.
I think converting to knuckle couplers would be an excelent project. The Kadee website has some great resources for helping you with the conversion. Regarding DCC; there are a few good mail order places like Tony’s Train Exchange and DLA in California.
Shaun, These are pretty much individual choices you need to make on your own. However, there is great improvement in reliable coupling and uncoupling capabilities with Kadee couplers. I feel Kadees are the best, especially when used in their own pockets. The DCC question is more difficult. It’s also my opinion that any locomotive can be converted to DCC. It depends on the stall current of the individual loco as to the decoder which needs to be installed. It might also be beneficial to change motors and/or gearing in a loco to make it run better. You also do not have to convert every loco. Digitrax has a specific loco address set-up for DC operation. The others certainly may also offer this option. Look closely at what you want to do with your railroad. Learn what the benefits are from DCC and make your choice from an educated position on the subject.
I’m suprised you haven’t already converted to knuckle couplers. When you do, and replace that many, buy the Kadee bulk 20 packs. They will save you some money.
It’s definitely worth changing to Kadees. You could change one or two cars to be “converters” with Kadees at one end and horn-hooks at the other for now - this would allow you to spread conversion over a period of time and spread the cost. You could then convert couplers as and when you can afford to do so without ending up with only certain locos/cars being able to run together.
If cash is the main issue, go with the couplers but not the DCC. The difference in realism and operation smoothness with the Kadees is amazing, and well worth the effort. I would think it’d be better to convert now rather than later because it will only cost more later.
I installed Kadee #5s on my kits that came with horn hooks, and now I plan to convert all my equiptment to Kadees. Easy to install and stay coupled better than hornhooks, IMO.
Start converting your carfleet to KD now! That will be quite a project converting 100+ cars, but in the end you should get much better operation. Keep notes on how each car was changed so you have your own reference as to how to do it.
The changeover also applies to your locomotives. Some of them may not convert so easily to KD’s, but you will no longer buy those. Save your money for better quality loco’s and you will find they may convert to DCC when the time comes.
You could set up a carshop for your fleet to put cars on the repair track. Then take the time to check & clean & weather each one. Get a digital camera and record some before & after shots of your progress. Have fun !
Save DCC until you have the funds to do so.
Converting to KD’s won’t cost you a lot all at once because you don’t have to do all your locomotives & rollingstock all at once.
I gradually changed mine over a period of about a year.
Change one side of the car/locomotive first then start changing the other side as you can.
This way all of your equipment is still usable while the transition is taking place.
I converted from horn-hooks to #5’s and now from #5’s to #58’s. So far I have had no problems with the smaller #58, and I highly recommend them for their “scale” appearance.
If you came across one of those short (er, ah, I mean vertically challenged) people that hang around the end of rainbows and he gave you his pot of gold then I would say hire some one to do both projects, sit back, drink a brewski and watch. However, if like me, you were looking for those folks at the wrong end of the rainbow and have limited funds then I suggest you go with the coupler project. Good couplers are a must have item to stay functional and keep down the number of “invisible uncoupling preditors” that lurk on most layouts. IMHO DC is functional, DCC is nice to have.
Say, you’re coming soon project sounds very interesting. Since I model the SP Siskiyou Line in the 1980s, looks like we may have a lot in common …
My web site has had over 50,000 hits on it and I get questions via email all the time about my layout, how I did something, etc. My son-in-law has a video production business (myMemoirs Video) so I talked him into doing a video series on my layout.
The idea is to take all the email questions I get and the questions I get when people visit the layout and to put them into a series of in-depth videos on how to do a large HO layout from A-Z. The layouts going on 14 years old and is a blast to operate.
The first video in the series comes out in a couple weeks, and then each of the other volumes comes out about once a quarter. MyMemoirs is running a preorder special right now and if you get in the first 100 you can win either a free subscription to the entire series or a free trip to an Op Session on the Siskiyou Line (worth up to $500 towards your transportation expenses, in the US that will pay for your full round-trip air fare to Portland, OR).
So if you happen to be interested in the preorder special, I think there’s about 20 left before the 100’s all taken. It’ll probably go fast now that the May MR is hitting the streets (they’ve got an ad in this issue).
Good luck on your modeling project … keep us updated! I’m very interested in how it comes along.
KD makes over 40 couplers & kits for varoious applications.
Some diesels require a different coupler for the front than the back so you have to check their conversion site for recommendations, www.kadee.com/conv/list.htm
You should also have the trip pin liers,#237 and coupler gauge #205
I had been in the hobby about that long when I switched over to Kadee couplers. They are very strong and reliable, although they will not couple around corners like the horn-hook couplers, but on the other hand, they don’t require all the trouble to uncouple, like horn-hooks. simply lift straight up[:D] to remove a car from your consist( instead of fighting[}:)] with 3 or more [:(!]cars to uncouple ONE[:0]!). As for DCC…that’s your call, depending on cash flow. Have you checked out computer control? There are programs for both DC and DCC computer control, check them out through your favorite search engine. CTI I believe was the company I checked out.
OH…I almost forgot. You may have a REALLY hard time converting you old TYCO stuff to knuckle couplers, and just plain forget about a switch to DCC for the TYCOs as well(unless you have some metal milling equipment at your disposal), not to mention that none of my Tyco stuff ever ran that good , even when they were new( boy… that was a long time ago…)[:D] Hope that helps!!
change all your coupler, then start buying decoders for each loco, when you have enough decoders for half to three-quarters of your fleet, then start saving up and buy a good quality DCC system. This will require derailing any purchases except couplers and decoders until you get the DCC system, then you xcan start expanding the fleet and trackage again. believe me the short term will require alot of self control (want that brand new BLI they just released? best not, else you’ll set yourself 6 months behind schedule), but the end will justify the delays in purchases.
Think of it this way, a railroad wants to add 500 miles to it’s line but only has marginal profits. so they start buying the small items they’ll need (switches, rails, ties, signal’s, ect), when they’ve built up those they the start saving to pay the labor to lay them and install the signalling system. Finally when they’ve got the new rails down, they save up to add an engine to work the new line, as well as possibly bying new cars to work that line. in the end (could be a year or more down the road), they may triple their operating profits by this one line addition. thus the end result, even after such a long wait, results in bigger profits and more enthusiaum from the stock holders.
So pace yourself, plot a plan of action, curb your urges and you’ll get everything you want and be a better person for it.
Good couplers will definately show immediate results and after returning to the hobby 10 years ago I’m still without DCC and will be without for a long time to come. Main thing is my trains still go around the tracks.
